Invoices, quotes and other business documents should not only be correct in content but also match your own corporate design. Customising such templates, however, often fails because it requires external tools, programming skills or lengthy coordination with an external service provider before even a small change such as a new logo can be made. That is why 1Tool integrates its own visual editor for PDF templates directly into the software, allowing documents such as invoices or quotes to be designed without detours through external tools. This article describes how the editor is structured and how the actual PDF generation behind it works.
Design based on HTML and CSS
The visual editor in 1Tool lets you design your own PDF templates directly in the browser — based on HTML and CSS. If you are already familiar with these web technologies, you can control the layout, formatting and structure of a template very precisely, for example for invoices or quotes. Since HTML and CSS are widespread, well-documented standards, existing web development know-how can be applied directly to the design of business documents, without having to learn a proprietary syntax invented especially for the editor. In addition, margins, paper format and background can be configured for each template, so that basic layout properties of a document can also be defined without extra effort. In this way, a template can be designed both in terms of content and appearance to match the company's corporate design. Smaller adjustments, for example to the font, colours or the positioning of individual elements, can also be made directly in the template itself instead of having to rely on outside help every time.
Three tabs for a controlled editing process
So that changes to a template do not have to be made blindly, the editor is divided into three tabs: Edit, HTML preview and PDF preview. The Edit tab is where the actual template is created and adjusted, while the two preview tabs immediately show the effect of a change — once as an HTML rendering and once as a real PDF preview. This means the effect of every adjustment can be checked instantly in a realistic preview before the template is actually used for real documents. This approach reduces the risk of a badly formatted template only being noticed on an invoice that has already been sent to a customer, because every change can be checked directly within the same editor before it goes live. This three-step structure also makes the editor accessible to users who do not work with HTML and CSS every day, as they can always see the effect of their changes immediately.
PDF generation by Gotenberg in the background
The actual generation of the finished PDF document from a template is handled in the background by the Gotenberg rendering engine, which is operated by 1Tool itself. Users do not have to worry about this technical process: as soon as a template has been completed and activated, every document based on it is automatically generated as a PDF via this engine. This separation between designing the template in the browser and generating the PDF in the background ensures that what you saw in the PDF preview matches the document that is actually produced. For companies, this means they can concentrate fully on the content and design of the template, while the technical side of PDF generation runs reliably in the background. A template, once created, can therefore be used permanently for all documents based on it, without any recurring technical effort.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need programming skills to design my own PDF template?
For a customised design, knowledge of HTML and CSS is helpful, as the editor is based on these web technologies.
What are the three tabs in the editor for?
The "Edit" tab is used to create the template, while "HTML preview" and "PDF preview" make the effect of changes immediately visible.
Do I have to install PDF generation software myself?
No, PDF generation is handled by the Gotenberg rendering engine, which is operated entirely by 1Tool.
Which of your business documents would benefit most from a customised PDF template?